What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 3rd August 2023.

The 71st Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) this year launches on Thursday 3rd August and runs through until Sunday 20th August. MIFF is a not-for-profit organisation that has been continuously running since 1952, making it the leading film festival in Australia and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, alongside Cannes and Berlin. Presenting a curated global programme of innovative screen experiences and the world’s largest showcase of exceptional Australian filmmaking, MIFF is an accessible, iconic cultural event that provides transformative experiences for audiences and filmmakers alike. The festival takes place annually in various cinemas in the Melbourne CBD, presenting an acclaimed screening programme including films from local and international filmmakers, alongside industry events.

This years Opening Night Gala film is 'Shayda' from Australia and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Noora Niasari and tells the story of Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, who finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to freedom is jeopardised. The Closing Night Gala film presentation is 'Theater Camp' Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman and follows a ragtag cast and crew of theatre nerds who bring extra drama to save their beloved summer camp.

MIFF’s film competition, Bright Horizons, recognises the new, the next, the breakthrough and the best, with an extraordinary international line-up of first and second time filmmakers competing for one of the richest film prizes in the world - AU$140K. Eleven feature films are in competition, as given below :-

* 'Ama Gloria' - from France and Written and Directed by Marie Amachoukeli in her feature film debut. The drama film tells the story of six-year-old French girl Cleo's bond with her Cape Verdean nanny, Gloria. 

* 'Animalia' - from France, Morocco and Qatar and Written and Directed by Sofia Alaoui in her feature film debut. This drama Sci-Fi uses an alien invasion to peer across the stakes of faith and family in contemporary Morocco.

* 'Banel & Adama' - from France and Senegal and Written and Directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy. This drama film is a haunting tale of two star-crossed lovers set in a rural Senegalese village.

* 'Disco Boy' - from Belgium, France, Italy and Poland and Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Giacomo Abbruzzese. This dramatic thriller sees a rogue Belarusian harbouring dreams of slipping unnoticed across the French border, but the aspiration soon sours stumbling from terrible loss into the arms of the French Foreign Legion.

* 'Earth Mama' - from the USA and Written and Directed by Savanah Leaf. This drama film is about a young heavily pregnant black woman caught up in a spiral of institutional disadvantage.

* 'Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell' - from France, Singapore, Spain and Vietnam and Written, Directed and Edited by Pham Thien An. This drama film sees a detached and morose Saigon thirtysomething man who has little idea that his life is about to be pushed towards a vast spiritual reckoning, as he embarks on a mystical journey across a beguiling rural Vietnam.

* 'How to Have Sex' - from Greece and the UK and Written and Directed by Molly Manning Walker. High school is over and, before the reality of exam results hits, a trio of British teenagers are determined to have the 'Best! Holiday! Ever!' Tara, Em and Skye arrive in Malia, a party town in Crete, primed for a blowout of clubbing, binge-drinking and attempts at seduction.

* 'The Rooster' - from Australia and Written and Directed by Mark Leonard Winter in his film making debut. Here, a hermit and a suspended cop form an unlikely connection amid crisis while camping out in a remote forest, but, surrounded by trees, far away from any trace of civilisation, is everything really as it seems? World Premiere screening.

* 'Shayda' - from Australia and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Noora Niasari in her feature film Directorial debut. The film tells the story of a mother seeking a new life for herself and her daughter.

* 'The Sweet East' - from the USA and photographed and Directed by Sean Price Williams in his feature film making debut. This comedy drama film is about a school girl separated from her classmates on a school trip to Washington, DC who finds herself on a feverish journey through the eastern seaboard, falling into the orbit (or trap) of various freaks and interlopers who call the great nation of the US home.

* 'Totem' - from Denmark, France and Mexico and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lila Aviles. This family drama presents a seven year old child’s-eye view of love, loss and life in all their messy, glorious, heartbreaking colour.

For all the other programme sections, the Australian films, the headlining films, MIFF Shorts, plus a whole lot more good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://miff.com.au/

Turning attention then back to this weeks six new movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with an American comedy offering that sees this adult son telling his old-school Italian immigrant father that he is going to propose to his all-American girlfriend, and Dad insists on crashing a weekend with her wealthy parents. This is followed by a biographical drama film about the illegitimate son of an African enslaved and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair. Next up is a sequel to a 2018 movie about giant megalodon sharks surfacing from the deepest depths of the ocean causing mayhem above the water and below it too. Then we turn to a British comedy about a dream the women of Ballygar have to taste freedom - to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes. Following on from this is an Australian doco that sees this northern NSW farm besieged by drought, bushfires and ecological despair, and so begins a journey of discovery to regenerate the soil beneath the feet of this famed Aussie Actress and the land on her farm; before closing out the week with a French drama film about a man setting out to walk across France after an accident that could have left him unable to walk at all.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'ABOUT MY FATHER' (Rated PG) - this American comedy film is Directed by Laura Terruso whose prior feature film making efforts take in her 2017 debut with 'Fits and Starts', then 'Good Girls Get High' in 2018, and 'Work It' in 2020. This film is Co-Written and stars the American stand-up comedian and Actor Sebastian Maniscalco and is loosely based on his life and his relationship with his father. This film was released in the US towards the end of May, has so far grossed US$16M off the back of a production budget of US$29M and has garnered generally unfavourable reviews. 

Sebastian (Sebastian Maniscalco) informs his traditional Italian immigrant father Salvo (Robert De Niro) about his plan to propose to his American girlfriend Ellie (Lesley Bibb), and Salvo insists on joining them for a weekend with her wealthy and extremely eccentric parents (Kim Cattrall and David Rasche). Despite the clash between their two cultures and initial perception of having nothing in common, they eventually become a single, unified family by the end of the summer holiday weekend.

'CHEVALIER' (Rated M) - is an American biographical drama film Directed by Stephen Williams whose previous big screen Directorial efforts are 'Soul Survivor' in 1995, 'Shadow Zone : My Teacher Ate My Homework' in 1997 and 'Milgaard' in 1999. Since then, Williams has worked extensively in TV. This film is based on the life of the titular French-Caribbean musician Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Kelvin Harrison Jnr.), who lived from 1745 until 1799, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rose to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist, conductor, composer, a champion fencer and a fine dancer complete with a love affair and falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton). Also starring Samara Weaving, Marton Csokas and Minnie Driver. It saw its World Premiere screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, was released in the US in late April, has so far grossed US$4M and has generated mostly favourable critical reviews. 

'THE MEG 2 : THE TRENCH' (Rated M) - this Sci-Fi action horror film is Directed by Ben Wheatley whose previous feature film making outings take in his 2009 debut with 'Down Terrace' which he would follow up with the likes of 'A Field in England' in 2013, 'High Rise' in 2015, 'Free Fire' in 2016, 'Happy New Year, Colin Burstead' in 2018, 'Rebecca' in 2020, and 'In the Earth' in 2021. This film is the sequel to 2018's 'The Meg' (which grossed US$530M at the global Box Office) and is based on the 1999 novel 'The Trench' by Steve Alten. Here then, Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham, who reprises his role from the first film) leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitched against colossal, prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers, they must outrun, outsmart and outswim their merciless predators. Also starring Cliff Curtis and Page Kennedy (also both reprising their roles from the first film) and Wu Jing, it is due for release in the US this week too. 

'THE MIRACLE CLUB' (Rated PG) - is a British drama film Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan whose previous feature film making offerings take in his debut in 1978 with 'On a Paving Stone Mounted', 'December Bride' in 1990, 'Nothing Personal' in 1995, 'Ordinary Decent Criminal' in 2000, 'The Heart of Me' in 2002, 'Stella Days' in 2011 and 'Citizen Lane' in 2018. Here then, set in 1960, the women of Ballyfermot, Ireland, dream of winning a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. Four close friends 'win' a life-changing ticket at their local raffle night, thanks to their interfering priest. Starring Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith, Agnes O'Casey and Stephen Rea the film saw its World Premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival in early June, was released in the US mid last month, and is released in the UK at the end of September. It has received mixed or average reviews and has so far grossed US$1.6M at the Box Office.

'RACHEL'S FARM' (Rated PG) - this Australian documentary film is Directed by the British born Australian Actress, Director and Writer Rachel Ward whose previous feature film making credits include 'Martha's New Coat' in 2003, 'Beautiful Kate' in 2009 and 'Palm Beach' in 2019. For many years, Rachel's Nambucca Valley beef farm in northern New South Wales, Australia was a family retreat, conventionally farmed by Rachel’s neighbour Mick. The 2019 Black Summer fires spared the farm, but the near-miss sets Rachel thinking hard about the future. Mick encourages Rachel to challenge established farming practices, and take on a new approach which starts from the soil up. Its hands-on hard graft, but she’s determined, and her joy at finding solutions is palpable. 'Rachel’s Farm' is about the environmental threats we face, but it’s also the story of one woman’s resolve to tackle them head on, intent on making a difference. Rachel has been married to Australian Actor Bryan Brown since 1983.

'ON THE WANDERING PATHS' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Co-Written and Directed by Denis Imbert whose two prior feature film making credits are 'Vicky' in 2015 and 'Vicky and Her Mystery' in 2021. This film is based on the book of the same name by Sylvain Tesson. Here Jean Dujardin plays Pierre Girard a famous explorer and writer, who travels regularly throughout the world. One day, climbing a hotel frontage while drunk, he falls from high and winds up in a deep coma. When he awakes, he has difficulty walking but, against everyone's advice, he decides to walk through France from Provence to Mont Saint-Michel, following forgotten pathways. The film was released in its native France towards the end of March and is released this week here in Australia having so far grossed US$8M. 

With six new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-